Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments, I’ve loved reading through them! I just wanted to clear a couple things up… Firstly, a lot of you are mentioning that your surprised that certain Russian classics didn’t make this list. That’s because this is a ranking of just the Russian books I read in 2021 alone! I have read other amazing Russian books (Crime and Punishment for example) in past years, which would most certainly have made this list! I love your enthusiasm, and I am so grateful to have all of your recommendations! Secondly, it seems that a lot of you are surprised by my calling “The Overcoat” by Gogol “funny.” I did greatly sympathize with Akaky Akakievich, and felt horrible for what he went through, and how he was treated cruelly by others. I can’t really explain why, but I just found Gogol’s writing a bit humorous. This may be due to my having listened to the audiobook where the narrator expressed scenes in a certain way. After hearing/reading all your thoughts, I look forward to a physical (not audiobook) read of “The Overcoat” in the future. This way I can pay more attention to the emotional impact and not the narration/performance of the story. I hope this cleared things up! :) So happy to be among so many other readers who are also passionate about Russian literature! Sending you all my best wishes, Carolyn :)
Gogol's writing IS funny and witty. Many modern comedians refer to his stories as proto-comedy, and given that comedy generally doesn't age well, Gogol's writing must have been considered hilarious back in the day. He literally makes jokes, I don't know how someone could argue with that. Of course, it's sad, like stand-up concerts are sometimes somewhat sad and deep while also being funny.
Whenever people ask me about my favourite books and I name Russian classics I feel so pretentious - but what can I do, they are amazing and they appeal to my Slavic soul!
@@eva4adam451 it is a call out to the river Pechora. It’s a river in the North of Russia, cold and harsh. This way Lermontov plays with Pushkin’s Evgeny Onegin, who is also named after river. Onega is a northern river too, but it’s not so far up North. Both fictional characters, Onegin and Pechorin, personify many young men of Pushkin’s and Lermontov’s generations. Both are autobiographical to some degree. They have some similar traits, both are bored of their lives and use social drama as a way to get some sense to their lives, or at least feel some edge. But they are also very different. Just like Pechora, Lermontov’s Pechorin is much tougher and harsher man, sometimes outright cruel.
I'm Russian literature teacher from Russia and I'm in love with Dostoevsky as well. But I think his greatest works were written after being in Siberia.They call it "The great pentateuch". The novel "Crime and Punishment" is studied in high school, every Russian knows its plot. And I suppose it's the most famous his work abroad. But my favourite ones are "Demons" and "The Idiot". Just masterpieces!
Yes. The Idiot is undoubtedly one of the most sublime novels ever written. Like a continuous vivid hallucination. Isn't Prince Myshkin a veiled depiction of jesus Christ? One of the most famous quotes in this novel is the sublime "only beauty will save the world". And that final scene in Nataysha phillipovna's bedroom as she dies, utterly spine tingling in its emotional enormity. The stillness, the numbness. Unsurpassed in all literature. Yes, you are right about the effects that the four years in Siberia had upon Dostoyevsky's creativity and character. It was the major turning point of his life. I see you're a teacher of Russian literature. Good. I've been into the sublime writings of that intrepid Muscovite, P. D. Ouspensky for many years. His strange life of Ivan Osokin is truly sublime. Love Ouspensky. All the best, and greetings from London, Noel 🌹
I totally agreed with you. Demons, Idiot, Brothers Karamazov are masterpieces. I dont know why but i fall in love with Russian empire times. My next one is Mark Aldanov book "Suicide" about falling expetations from bolshevik revolution. Love Russia
Darya, I know a highly skilled Russian lit teacher near Saint Petersburg, Russia. She can`t stand ''Demons''. She herself was surprised. She didn`t find it a masterpiece but rather a stodgy read. When I looked in on her several years ago, she foisted that book off on me as her gift. I figured out after a few attempts at the book that one has to know well the events and real persons of that time and Dostoevsky`s personal attitude to them which he re-imagined while crafting his story to put across his own message.
@@peterivankovich2990 It certainly is true that knowing the background of this book adds to its flavour. But in my humble opinion Nikolai, Pyotr and most of all Kirilov are such intricate and amazing characters that they make it well worth reading the book. Especially Kirilov and his 'logical suicide' is something that has stuck with me after reading this book, if you're interested Albert Camus also writes about Kirilov in his 'The Myth of Sisyphus'. But I understand that the pace of this book and some of the subjects might not appeal to everyone's taste. You don't have to like every book that is dubbed a masterpiece, some just aren't for you. All the best from the Netherlands!
@@schatjepatatje767 Thanks for the feedback! When I read Demons some passages seemed to me unnecessarily long, drawn-out. I should a reader know how rickety fences leaned and wove. I came away with the feeling that he purposefully lengthened out his descriptions either to show off his mastery with words or to fill out yawning longueurs to spin out his chapters. He was paid for page after all. His Russian is old Russian compared to modern Russian and that doesn`t make for happy reading. I saw his translations in modern English and modern German. It reads real nice. But it`s the story plot and not Dostoevsky`s writing style.
As a much older person, I relished your enthusiasm and your delight at discovering the great Russian literary tradition. You must next read Brothers Karamazov, in my opinion the greatest novel ever written (pace Don Quixote), along with The Idiot, Crime and Punishment, and The Demons. These form the corpus of Dostoyevsky's philosophy of life and exploration of the complexity of the human psyche. You might also consider The Adolescent, a book of his that prefigures Karamazov in many ways. I also suggest, after reading these books, you read George Steiner's Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky, a deep analysis of the two great writers and how they differ in style and substance. Of course, of the more recent books, The Master and Margarita is a delight and will haunt you for a long time. May I also suggest Vassily Grossman's monumental novel Life and Fate, a brilliant work about Russians in the second World War. And finally, Solzhenitzyn's epic Gulag Archipelago - it's quite long, but devastating in its effect. You may want to start with One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, a shorter "version" of Gulag, however. Tolstoy's shorter works are a must as well. Don't miss The Kreutzer Sonata and, of course, The Death of Ivan Illyich!! I envy you your youth and the great panorama of life changing literature you have before you. At my stage in life, I find myself re-reading the greatest of books, although I cannot help sprinkling my reading with some superb more recent examples of great writers. Go forth in joy, dear friend, and enjoy the great tradition of Russian--as well as, German, French, British and American--books that enrich life and give it meaning!
Когдада то мы наблюдали за нигилизмом и его проявлении в литературе и задумывались о вечном и вещном, а теперь мир сошёл сума и мы наблюдаем проявление нигилизма и безнравственности в современном мири буквально за 15 лет лож стала правдой, а уродво и человечкие пороки назвали инклюзивностью
Someone may have already mentioned this in the comments, but you might want to look at Nabokov's translation of Eugene Onegin. He believed it was impossible to really translate the Russian into English while keeping the rhymes (and in any case, there are other things (maybe gender?) in the cleverness of the poetry that's also hopeless to capture), so it was worthwhile to just translate it in prose. It's really interesting to put some of Nabokov's translation next to some other translations to see what differences in meaning come through when you don't need to "force" a rhyme. In any case, EO is one of my very favorites, too, and I hope more people will try it thanks to your encouragement! (Ohhhh, I meant to add: if you really want to go crazy and dive into EO, the Nabokov edition comes with a small book of the translation and then two thick accompanying volumes that go through his thought processes on each stanza. It's bonkers and fascinating in equal measure.)
It's Pechorin with a soft ch like in "cherry"! Thank you for such an inspiring video that makes me want to read all of those books right now! I recommend reading Nabokov, especially "The Gift", it's one of my favorite books ever.
It's so interesting to see someone who enjoys the books we are "forced" to read in school in Russia. It's difficult to find people who actually like these books here among the young people, because they are long and not that much action happens. But I feel like that is the genius in these stories, to tell tales of ordinary people in ordinary situations in an interesting way. I 100% agree that Master and Margarita is Bulgakov's best book. That book in it's writing time was banned, because it showed all the flaws of society that the soviet government didn't want to acknowledge and now that book is a part of our literature program. It is a talking point of many conversations between the previous generation and our generation. I see that you have been reading a serious side of Russian classic, so I would like to recommend some good classical comedy: The 12 chairs (oh, how I love this book, it is a peak of comedy of that time, you will definitely enjoy it. It also has a great movie, very close to the book) The diamond arm ( same as previous one, just brilliant 😂, also has a movie)
@@Olga...572 я и не отрицаю, что это так. Сама окончила школу, где мы постоянно предлагали преподавателю выйти за рамки учебной программы и почитать дополнительно. Но всё таки и тех, кто читает на отвали в кратком содержании достаточно много. Сужу о ситуации по детям знакомых, почти никто из них полностью не читает произведения
Congrats Carolyn. You have come so far with your Russian literature from the very first video. It’s beautiful to see. Hopefully in 2022 you can pick up, what is in my opinion, Dostoevsky’s masterpiece “The Brothers Karamazov”. It is not just my favourite Russian work of literature but probably my favourite book of all time. It is one that I find myself returning to quite often. Highly recommend 😊
My love for Russian litterateur started many many years ago in University (yes, I am old) and it always make me happy when I see a young person falling in love with Russian litterateur - like I did in your ages. This video brings back so many lovely memories, thank u! A good start for a overview of Russian literature is Everyman’s Pocket Classics “Russian Stories” a lovely easy read.
The "ch" in Pechorin is pronounced as the "ch" in "check". The "kh" in Chekhov sounds like [h] in "hot" (and always like that when Cyrillic is trasliterated into Latin) :)
Hi, another naitive Russian speaker here! I was so glad to hear that you are such a passionate and attentive reader and that you love our literature so much. Also I have a recommendation for you: if you want to read a little more about Siberia from a Russian classical writer I reccomend Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment". It is a story of a poor student who plots to kill a person to take their money and it's considered one of the best books of Dostoyevsky. We even study it at schools. There's so much psychological depth to the characters and so many discussions of crime and punishment and redemption, I think it deserves to be named a masterpiece. Also my personal fave from Dostoyevsky is "Bésy (Demons)". Again such a great psychological portrait of flawed people, it discusses nature of good and evil, redemption, complex motivation of our choices and actions, parential relationships. Speaking of which, I think that Turgenev's most popular work "Fathers and Sons" may spark your interest as well.
It delights me to see someone first getting into Russian literature. You can only go down the rabbit hole once, but it’s a magical experience. Books you hadn’t listed here that I’d recommend: Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, the Idiot, and the Brothers Karamazov; Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita; Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilych; Gogol’s Dead Souls
Fantastic video! I'm Russian, and you really inspired to read more of our classic literature. I hope you keep enjoying it, you are awesome.Thank you so much!
The Russians are so intense. It must be that winter. I’ve been through all the majors and Nabokov is my current favorite. His creative voice and short stories are magic.
When you get around to reading the Master and Margarita (if you love Russian lit you don't want to miss it) you will meet up again with Griboyedov: the first character we meet in the novel is the editor of a literary magazine and chairman of the board of "one of Moscow's largest literary associations, " called MASSOLIT. The building which houses the headquarters of this organization will become the location for some of the key events in the novel. Bulgakov has paid tribute to one of his literary ancestors by naming the building after him: Griboyedov House, and "Woe from Wit" is specifically mentioned in the book. Your enthusiasm is infectious (hope that hasn't become a bad word in these times) and I wish you the best of luck with your writing/illustrating,
It’s interesting to me that you describe The Overcoat by Gogol as funny. I personally remember this book as kind of heartbreaking. May be I need to read it again :)
Thanks a lot for your delightful video. I found it both resonant and inspiring. My major 2021 reading project was reading “War and Peace” in Russian. I don’t know if I have ever been more rewarded by a reading investment. It also delivered an incomparable sense of accomplishment. I am now in the process of re-reading “Anna Karenina” in Russian-still an unbelievably powerful portrait of life. I find Pushkin’s art (music on paper as Inlike to characterize it) so compelling that I have begun memorizing “Evgeny Onegin” in Russian-the structure you referenced acts as a magical mnemonic and an effective language teaching tool. My own top five recommendations would include Dostoevsky’s “Brothers Karamazov.” Those four works alone have repaid my efforts in learning Russian!
Oh my god, 2022 has barely started and my reading list has already skyrocketed!!! Thank you very much for your video Carolyn Marie! I did not know you are Italian! Amazing! I read War and Peace in 2021 as well and it was so profound, I want to read more Russian classics this year! As others said, can't wait to see your new Russian discoveries and Willow's pictures! :)
So happy to have stumbled upon this video!! If you haven’t added her to your to-read list yet, I highly recommend Teffi! Her Russian folklore-inspired short stories are incredible, as as her memoirs and essays detailing her experiences in St Petersburg and abroad during the Revolution-she’s poignant and warm and delightfully clever
I wonder if you heard that Tolstoy's wife Sofia helped him a lot with rewriting and editing. She copied the whole War & Peace by hand at least 18 times. And I'm sure she contributed a lot to the description of family life and women's charachters especially in Anna Karenina, it's she who added certain warmth to the narrative. In fact Tolstoy was a huge misogene. I'm not sure Sofia's Diary is translated into any language
Hi!! Thankyou so much for your insights and enthusiasm!!! I would definitely recommend Nabokov for the new year. An amazing writer that you will surely appreciate. I see learning the Russian language in your future!!!!!
I'd recommend, for those who wants to start with Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyitch, which is a novela, so it's quite a short book! The book concentrates the story on how the protagonist reflects about his upcoming death... it really is a good place to start even with russian literature!!!
Giovanna, the full beauty of Russian literature can be revealed only in reading it in Russian! The translations can be a bit successful or a lot successful but never the exact copy.
@@peterivankovich2990 True, Peter. But having only around 30 Russian lessons behind me doesn't allow me to read Pushkin nor Dostoïevski yet! As I'm a singer and profoundly in in love with Russian composers I am fortunate enough to enjoy poetry! Speaking quite well five languages I read Russian authors in several translations, mainly French and Italian. Would recommend to amateurs reading in French the translations of ALL Dostoïevski by Russian novelist and poet Andreï Makine (Actes Sud)! Just great!
@@peterivankovich2990 of course not... but I read it in Portuguese and here in Brazil we have excellent translators that know the Russian language and culture really well! I'm sure their job is amazing cause I loved the Russian literature until now!
@@ezequielstepanenko3229 Yes, and I don`t dispute it! I just read it when I was too young to understand subtleties in it that only grownups can pick up on. I didn`t find it great, though, because I read it at school as a must read and my concern was not enjoyment but finishing it on time. Great literature lost on me. I also read it in Russian and not in a refined, well-honed, modern foreign translation. Maybe I failed to enjoy it because Russian was my second language. The other day I looked through an old British translation of War and Peace in a recent modern edition hoping to find what foreigners enjoy in reading this book. I tried hard to like it, but I nevertheless failed to see how readers could enjoy that bulky, unnatural language. The British translation of a famous British translator of War and Peace in the early 20th century contained clumsy sentences and grammar patterns that a school student, if he or her used them at his/her school or college English exam, would hardly have passed a regular English exam. I don`t mind when people enjoy books they enjoy, but I beg permission to have my own judgment of books I like or dislike or just don`t comprehend yet. As for the sonata, At my early age I wasn`t smart enough to feel that maybe Tolstoy`s wife has written certain passages in the kreutzer sonata the way that only the female psyche is capable of, as experts of literature purport to know. I`m grateful to those who share their deeper knowledge with me. We live and learn. For example, only later in life did I learn that Gulliver`s Travels was a book essentially designed for grown-ups of Swift`s time and not a book for children as it`s widely regarded nowadays. So I`m afraid you misunderstood something pointing out ''for starters''. Did I say it was in War and Peace? I still plan to revisit the kreutzer sonata when I can find a copy of the book and read it closely and try to sense if parts of it about music could have been written by Tolstoy`s wife. They I regretfully can have access to books in English. But maybe I can track down an audio version of the story on my computer. I apologize to all those who try to see a professional connoisseur of literature. I have personal likes and dislikes as gar as books go and I beg your pardon if my taste does not coincide with what passes for world standards. I`m currently slowly rereading Dostoevsky`s Demons in Russian for the umpteenth time to try to determine what makes it so popular with almost all readers. And as bad luck would have it, I haven`t resolved this mystery yet. Though I persevere. Likely in vain.
I’d love to see you make a video of where to start with Russian literature along with one that explains how you annotate your books, what each color sticky note and highlighter means. :) I loved this video so much!
I consider myself a fairly well-read Russian Lit reader, but you've exposed me to a few books I've never heard of. Incredibly impressive & informative video. Thank you Carolyn!
Great video! A couple recommendations for short stories would be lady with the dog (Дама с собачкой) by Chekhov which is very short but very beautiful also Pushkin’s Queen of Spades (Пиковая дама) is a classic and a very interesting read. As for longer books if you felt like stepping out of the 19th century Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita is perhaps the most unique book I’ve read and it’s great fun
Thanks to you, I read Anna Karenina last year, and I’ve been rereading it since then. So much to discover when rereading! I never read Resurrection, but it became my tbr. Many Japanese captive soldiers were sent to Siberia, and since being Japanese, I feel like I have to read it. Thank you always!
This is great! Thanks! I've tried getting into Tolstoy but couldn't. I'm a huge fan of Dostoevsky. I've read Crime and Punishment twice, The Brothers Karamazov, and most of his short stories. But I should give War and Peace another chance!
I'm from Russia, but i proud of you for making these videos! Russian culture is amazing, and i so happy that you distribute it (my english is not good, but I hope you understand me)
It's amazing how deeply you're reading russian lit. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to your thoughts about them top reads👍 Now, other absolutely brilliant Chekhov stories you may look into imo are- Volodya, the kiss, lady with the dog.☺️
Dear CarolynMarie! You are amazing! It’s so unusual for a non-Russian speaking person to be interested in Russian literature, enjoy and love it. And you are able to make your interest and love to this literature to become an interest and joy of others. You understand so properly Russian reality and life of those times and all the characters of those books! You are so thorough in expressing of your feelings and opinions! All the books you have read are classic, and they are really good ones. I feel bad that you are unable to read originals. You would enjoy them even more.
Hello! A great video! I LOVED IT. and there's a long comment to prove it, lol. This guy from "A hero of our time" is Pechorin with "ch" as in chat. It's unbelievable seeing foreign people reading and discussing Russian literature, because if there is something truly great about our legacy, apart from any wars and politics in general, it is literature. I'm amazed how you describe these books, how you love them! It's seen! Being Russian, I haven't read like a half of these books, and, of the other half that I have, I can't say that I like them half as much as you do! It's also interesting to listen to your interpretations of these books. Because there's nothing particularly funny about The Overcoat, it's a satirical look at the purposeless life of a clerc, and I can't feel nothing but shame and pity for the man. I wonder how I would have perceive this story if I hadn't been taught in a certain way. (I'm not trying to say that our interpretation is the only correct and yours is not, not all! It's just an observation.) I don't know if you answer, but I'd love to know whose side are you in Woe From Wit?) There are many interpretations and opinions on who's right and to what extend. IMHO, Heart of the Dog is even better than Master and Margarita. It's one of my faves of his, and you should definitely check his A Young Doctor's Notebook. It's like a short story collection with an overarching plot. OMG, I thought i would finish the comment much earlier, but when you said that you liked the War and Peace!.. You know, it's probably the most notorious books in Russian literature. At least, on 19th century (then we have Solgenitsin's so-called stories and And Quiet Flows the Don). I loved the War and Peace. It's the most influential book for me as an author, i can't thank it enough. So, that's amazing that you recommend reading it. It worth it! it's big, right, but it's not that dull as some people believe it to be. It's the perfection and it's an apotheosis of Russian literature, IMHO. Now I want to read Evgeny Onegin in English just to see how the translator managed to keep up with Pushkin. It sounded perfect when you read it aloud. You should definitely read Asya by Turgenev if you haven't. For me, it was an ideal start. It's short, too. If you liked Pushkin this much, you may try his prosaic works like Tales of Belkin's, or his fairytales. These and A Young Doctor's Notebook by Bulgakov are my recommendations.
I began Anna Karenina this month after listening to you rave about it. It has been a book that has sat on my shelves for years and, goodness, am I glad I finally picked it up. I'm only 103 pages into it but I fully agree and understand your love of Levin. I have many opinions on the other characters but I'm still getting to know them. Levin, however, I'm ready to run off to the country with him.
You are truly inspiring, CarolynMarie! I love your enthusiasm for Russian Literature - and World Literature, more broadly. I recommend that you visit St. Petersburg some day - and witness that "Window On The West" that Czar Peter created in the 18th century to help his society envision how to 'modernize' like Europe. While you're there, walk along the Nevsky Prospekt where writers like Gogol and others found their freedom to imagine themselves equal to the Russian Aristoocracy who had lorded it over them. It was the 19th Century Russian writers like Pushkin, who called into being through his novels the imaginative social space that was needed to inhabit the New Russia that Peter - and then - Catherine The Great, pioneered...
Deliciously charming video! As a great reader of Great Classical Literature from all around the world (with special focus on England, France and RUSSIA), I was delighted to discover you tonight!
Really nice content . My reading adventure started very late but most of my motivation comes from Russian writer . Hope to see more of these kind of videos .
Oh my, I love that Eugene Onegin is your number one. I need to reread it, but I remember it being so beautiful. I want to read Devils (sometimes called Demons, or The Possessed) by Dostoevsky this year.
@@micaelabonetti949 for sure. Sometimes you have to force yourself a little bit to read the first few pages, but then you are like in the flow and you're reading 100 pages in a row- that's how I experienced reading it last December
@@wlrlel 👋I read it from the first to the last page! But I thought it less "easy" as other Dostoïevski's novels or short novels...maybe the subject, don't know... (Mmhhhh, to define anything by Monsieur D. as "easy", definitely no!) Anyway, will reread it, don't worry, hahaha!
Carolyn, I can't believe, that someone like you still exist in the nowadays generation who likes reading the Russian literature. I have read all the books that you mentioned in your video, and I'm about 80% in liking of them as you do. Mikhail Bulgakov's Master and Margarita is a piece of jewel that you will like, but make sure, that the book is translated Michael Glenny. I will give also a few tips on the books that I liked reading. "Mikhail Sholokhov" The Don Flowes Home to the Sea. Mikhail Prishvin's "Nature's Diary" Leonid Andreyev: The Abyss. A. Tolstoy Lev and Sonya. Stepan Shchipachev "Lines of love and poetry.
Thanks for making this video! I've read a handful of Russian novels, and I'm excited to add some of these to my list! I love what you said about War and Peace, because I also feel as if it became intertwined with my life at the time that I read it (granted, it took me a VERY long time to read, so I will probably associate half of 2021 with that book).
Hello! I'm from Russia, and it's so good to see someone who likes Russian classic literature. It was very exciting to listen to your thoughts about books that I have read in my school years. I even want to reread Evgeni Onegin now. Thank you! I can recommend you to read "The two captains" by Veniamin Kaverin. It is one of my favorite books from the school. It is growing up story, and there are love and adventures here, and even a little of explorations. Oh, it's so cozy book. My heart gets warm when I remember about it. Just try it and you can't stop :)
Огромное удовольствие наблюдать за тем, как иностранец получает удовольствие от плодов русской культуры, к сожалению, современная Россия пытается привлекать внимание не красотой, а страхом, и это видео демонстрирует, что искусство и люди мыслящие живут над временем и политикой. Привет из Санкт-Петербурга! P.S. Wrote that in russian, cause I thought this comment section needs a bit of authentic colorite 😄
Love your enthusiasm. I am starting with Gogol, Dead Souls, the n Bulgakov Master and Margarita. Took note of you recommendations. And will have to ad Pushkin. Thank you so much.
Hello, you just flashed up on my screen from nowhere, and I'm now watching. I do hope you mention The Master and margarita. One of the most miraculous Russian novels ever written. It actually changed my life. Author, Bulgakov
I'm currently reading Anna Karenina. I am also surprised at how, as you say, approachable it is. It's also quite compulsive. I've gone through 200 pages in about 4 days all while working a full time job. It's very enjoyable. It took me about 5 weeks to finish the Brothers Karamazov, which is my favorite book of all time, so I'm hoping I can get through this one in about the same amount of time. So far from Tolstoy I've only read the Death of Ivan Ilyich, which was so devastatingly good... 😊
This is so lovely! I've also had a great reading year with Russian classics :) One of the books I read that isn't on your list is Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman (I've yet to read the famous sequel, Life and Fate!) which was so moving and heartbreaking. It definitely can be hard keeping up with who is who though, something I was surprised to have no problems with at all reading War and Peace, but it's a great read! Really looking forward to Life and Fate and the dramatised audio production of it I found on audible. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of the Keira Knightley adaptation of Anna Karenina, but that's because I'm so protective of the philosophical through-line of the book that I don't like a movie to shorten everything down to the bare necessities (which is also why I think it's sad people expect the musical Les Mis from the book Les Mis when it's so much more than the main story, but anyway:) BUT I LOVE THE SOUNDTRACK! Dario Marianelli is such a genius, I love love love the way he includes the themes of the train and the Russian working class! And aesthetically, it's such a fantastic work of art which inherently makes the movie special to me! And I couldn't imagine a better interpretation of Stiva! :) I hope you have a wonderful Russian reading year in 2022 as well!❤️❤️
So pleased to hear I am not the only person who has tackled Stalingrad, as you say a myriad of characters and scenes but so worth it. Life and Fate carries on the journey of many of the characters in the first book. Again, it will be worth the effort and I am sure you will sit down after reading it and realise how the two books have enriched your reading experience. War and Peace is certainly an 'easier' read, I have just finished it for the third time and every reading it becomes richer. I have been tackling more recent Russian writing and I can highly recommend 'Death and the Penguin' and the follow-up 'Penguin lost' by Andrey Kurkov. Both are quite short but convey the grotesque post-Soviet world. Funny, tender, and poignant. Good luck with your reading and wishing you health and happiness in 2022.
that's so wonderful and pleasant for me that you read russian books, I have just started watching video, so I dont know the whole list of books you've read, but please, read Karamazovi's Brothers (Dostoevsky), I think you'll love it🤍 Thank you for exploring splendid world of Russian literature again, good luck💛
My first russian literature book was Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky, I read the whole book in just 3 days, I would stay after school in the library and read the book until closing time.
I'm not Russian, in fact I'm not even Slavic nor European nor white, but I love Russian literature and I agree with almost everything you said! 😊 Perhaps more so than any other literature (pace a handful like Shakespeare and Dante), Russian literature speaks to my existential soul. Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment as well as his The Brothers Karamazov are my personal favorites, The Master and Margarita and Dead Souls by Gogol are up there too, and Tolstoy's little novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich packs quite a punch. I also really like a lot of the short stories of Chekhov. I long for Pushkin's Russia! The scholar Gary Morson has a recent book titled Wonder Confronts Certainly: Russian Writers on the Timeless Questions and Why Their Answers Matter that's well worth reading.
Thank you Carolyn! I am 80, not here for long no doubt, but I loved Russian literature since very young, studied Russian people & history and was looking for my film, (umpteenth time) "Anna Karinina," or War & Peace. I loved the book, "Brothers Karamazov," Russian poetry and love & pray for the great country of Russia and their fine, fine leader. I am perked up more than I can express...my many years ends with creaking days. I wish decades ago I'd have met an avid and intelligent reader as you. You are great. Thanks for making a lover of good books feel much better.
thanks for the video! for me, as an admirer of russian literature, it was interesting to hear your detailed comments on that books. i'd highly recommend you to read leonid andreyev's books ("judas iscariot", "the red laugh") and dovlatov's books ("the suitcase", "a foreign woman"). from bulgakov's works i recommend to pay attention to the "young doctor's notebook" and "morphine" and from chekhov's works to the whole little trilogy, plays "three sisters", "the seagull" and a small story "the student"
I'm reading War and Peace for the first time and I must say Russian literature has my attention. I read the last chapter to the sound of Tchaikovsky and it was sublime. Next up is Anna Karenina. Thank you for this video
Здравствуйте, Кэролин! Вас приветствует ваш новый подписчик из России, точнее даже из Сибири (у меня все ок, здесь сейчас получше, чем в 19 веке😆). Спасибо вам за это видео, все 40 минут с удовольствием слушал ваш чистый английский и от души улыбался. А теперь пойду и перечитаю всю русскую классику, она действительно гордость нашей страны. Очень рад, что вам понравился "Онегин". Интересно, но мы в России думаем, что произведения Пушкина очень русские, а потому не могут быть до конца понятны людям других стран. Наверное, это правда, но все равно приятно, что вы читаете главного русского писателя и находите в нем что-то свое. Извините, что пишу на русском. Могу и на английском, но на языке оригинала всегда интереснее😊. Тем более вы уже столько книг русских писателей прочитали, что уже, наверное, пора бы и начать учить наш язык😉😀.
Instant translate is such an amazing gift. Greetings from ireland. If I could learn a language it would be russian just to read Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in their original language. Although I really appreciate the translators and their work.
I'm glad to hear that things are better now in Siberia than in the days of Dostoyevsky. I think that Vladimir Nabokov, for one, agreed with you about the inability of translators to adequately capture all the nuances of Pushkin's style. He spent years on his own English translation of Onegin, plus a huge commentary, filling 4 volumes. Despite all Nabokov's skill and erudition, many English readers find other translations more satisfying, but there doesn't seem to be much agreement as to which is best. When still in my early teens, I became so fascinated with writers like Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, as well as with Russian music and Russian opera, especially Boris Godunov, I began to wish I could read them in the original. I never got around to taking a course in Russian, but much later I picked up a book called "the Penguin Russian Course", learned the Cyrillic alphabet and eventually picked up enough to work my way through a collection of short stories printed in the original Russian with the English translation on opposite pages. Unfortunately, I never found the patience to fully master all the grammar before tackling some of the full length novels with the help of a Russian-English dictionary and an English translation to consult whenever I got stuck - which was constantly. But I was stubborn and eventually managed to get through all of Crime and Punishment, which took at least 6 months, followed eventually by the Idiot, Ann Karenina, and the Master and Margarita. It's kind of a crazy way to learn a language I suppose, and I never learned to speak or write Russian at all well, but at least I seem to have picked up enough to be able to read comments such as yours when they are clear and straightforward as yours was.
@@hwelf11 If you had learned Russian from Dostoevsky`s books you would have been speaking Russian as a Russian person of the 19th century. Imagine somebody speaking English like in Red Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Our college had a group of British students over on exchange. They spoke the Russian of the 19th century because they had been learning their Russian from the classics of the 19th century. They stuck out liker a sore finger. Nobody speaks that kind of Russian anymore. Fare Thee Well.
I just finished reading Heart of a Dog for the first time yesterday, it's so good! The old Russian movie (1988) based on the book is also excellent, but I am not sure if there's an English translation/close captions.
I just found your channel, and omg I'm in love. After seeing your Cavalier (being a mom of three Cavs myself) in the first couple of minutes, I was like "yepp, I'm gonna return" 😊
Hi Carolyn, my name is Denise I’m from the south of Brazil. I’m just “arriving” in your channel …and I like very much your way to talk about books!…( sorry about my english, I’m trying to improve it…kkk)
Oh my god, you did a great job with this rank. I’m from Russia and I’d really like every young person in Russia to watch this video. You know I remember how at school we studied Dostoevsky's books. but even then I realized that I didn’t have enough experience to understand his thoughts.) that’s why I still think that Dostoevsky is too complicated for the kids.
I love finding another lover of Russian literature. If you're at all interested in. Russian history as well, I cannot recommend Robert K. Massie enough, especially Nicholas and Alexandra. I started reading Russian history after I fell in love with Russian literature while doing an author study of Dostoyevsky in high school. I'm sure you've already done so since this is an old video, but Crime and Punishment is my absolute favorite book. I'm about a third of the way through Brothers Karamazov so I can't fully recommend it yet. Happy reading!
There is and always will be only one Leo Tolstoy. War And Peace and Anna Karenina will never be equaled in my opinion. Thank you so much for this video, Carolyn, you are an awesome reader!
Thank you for the amazing video. I learned so much about Russian literature. Last year I read White Nights and I absolutely loved it. I listened to the Idiot and enjoyed it.
As a Russian, I am very pleased that our writers are read in the world) I watched your video with pleasure. You are asking for advice on Russian literature. Read if you haven't read Anton Chekhov, Ivan Bunin and Vladimir Nabokov.
Delightful video! When it comes to Dostoevsky, I’d recommend a perhaps overlooked book of his, which is Netochka Nezvanova, a bildungsroman about an orphaned girl. Sadly, the novel was left unfinished; I thought it was a very engaging and touching novel, and is my favorite of his pre-prison books. Also, I think your video as motivated me to reread Eugene Onegin sooner rather than later. And I think I’ll check out the film adaptations of that and Anna Karenina (who doesn’t love Keira Knightley?). And then for Bulgakov, I thought his (also unfinished) novel A Dead Man’s Memoir was quite funny.
Love Eugene Onegin! Two things -- (1) the Stanley Mitchell translation is good, but some think the Charles Johnston translation is even better, if you ever reread it (2) forget the movie, you need to see the Tchaikovsky opera! Russia's greatest composer adapting Russia's greatest poet! Check out the DVD performance by Kasper Holten/Royal Opera.
Thumbs up for including Anton Chekhov, who is (in my estimation) one of the best short story writers to have ever lived. He's commonly known as an excellent playwright, but his stories don't tend to get the attention they deserve. His characterization is peerless and he's great at setting the atmosphere/mood very economically. As for recommendations of other short stories by Chekhov, I'm sure many people recommended 'The Lady With the Dog", and even though it's a nice story, it's a bit uncharacteristic for Chekhov. Personally, I love (apart from Ward No. 6) "The Bishop", "The Headmistress", "In the Ravine", "The Witch", or "The Horse-Stealers".
Hi everyone!
Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments, I’ve loved reading through them!
I just wanted to clear a couple things up…
Firstly, a lot of you are mentioning that your surprised that certain Russian classics didn’t make this list. That’s because this is a ranking of just the Russian books I read in 2021 alone! I have read other amazing Russian books (Crime and Punishment for example) in past years, which would most certainly have made this list! I love your enthusiasm, and I am so grateful to have all of your recommendations!
Secondly, it seems that a lot of you are surprised by my calling “The Overcoat” by Gogol “funny.” I did greatly sympathize with Akaky Akakievich, and felt horrible for what he went through, and how he was treated cruelly by others. I can’t really explain why, but I just found Gogol’s writing a bit humorous. This may be due to my having listened to the audiobook where the narrator expressed scenes in a certain way. After hearing/reading all your thoughts, I look forward to a physical (not audiobook) read of “The Overcoat” in the future. This way I can pay more attention to the emotional impact and not the narration/performance of the story. I hope this cleared things up!
:)
So happy to be among so many other readers who are also passionate about Russian literature!
Sending you all my best wishes,
Carolyn :)
Its Pechorin, "Печорин". "Ч", "Ch"
Anyone whose been short of money but keen on saving for an expensive but needed purchase will understand the overcoat
When you’re in your 50s reread war and peace. You will be surprised
Gogol's writing IS funny and witty. Many modern comedians refer to his stories as proto-comedy, and given that comedy generally doesn't age well, Gogol's writing must have been considered hilarious back in the day. He literally makes jokes, I don't know how someone could argue with that. Of course, it's sad, like stand-up concerts are sometimes somewhat sad and deep while also being funny.
I totally agree with you, the Overcoat is funny. It has been some years since I read it but I loved its tragic comedy.
Whenever people ask me about my favourite books and I name Russian classics I feel so pretentious - but what can I do, they are amazing and they appeal to my Slavic soul!
Russians don’t feel that way!
It's so satisfying to watch someone being so in love with Russian literature 😍 In Russian Pechorin is pronounced with [tʃ] sound (as in Chekhov)
And also it's pronounced Pyehchoreen :) I hope it helps.
What means pechko or pecko or pocheren??
@@eva4adam451 Nothing, it's a last name.
@@eva4adam451 it is a call out to the river Pechora. It’s a river in the North of Russia, cold and harsh. This way Lermontov plays with Pushkin’s Evgeny Onegin, who is also named after river. Onega is a northern river too, but it’s not so far up North.
Both fictional characters, Onegin and Pechorin, personify many young men of Pushkin’s and Lermontov’s generations. Both are autobiographical to some degree. They have some similar traits, both are bored of their lives and use social drama as a way to get some sense to their lives, or at least feel some edge. But they are also very different. Just like Pechora, Lermontov’s Pechorin is much tougher and harsher man, sometimes outright cruel.
... and *HOW*!!! 😉
I'm Russian literature teacher from Russia and I'm in love with Dostoevsky as well. But I think his greatest works were written after being in Siberia.They call it "The great pentateuch". The novel "Crime and Punishment" is studied in high school, every Russian knows its plot. And I suppose it's the most famous his work abroad. But my favourite ones are "Demons" and "The Idiot". Just masterpieces!
Yes. The Idiot is undoubtedly one of the most sublime novels ever written. Like a continuous vivid hallucination. Isn't Prince Myshkin a veiled depiction of jesus Christ? One of the most famous quotes in this novel is the sublime "only beauty will save the world". And that final scene in Nataysha phillipovna's bedroom as she dies, utterly spine tingling in its emotional enormity. The stillness, the numbness. Unsurpassed in all literature. Yes, you are right about the effects that the four years in Siberia had upon Dostoyevsky's creativity and character. It was the major turning point of his life.
I see you're a teacher of Russian literature. Good. I've been into the sublime writings of that intrepid Muscovite, P. D. Ouspensky for many years. His strange life of Ivan Osokin is truly sublime. Love Ouspensky. All the best, and greetings from London, Noel 🌹
I totally agreed with you. Demons, Idiot, Brothers Karamazov are masterpieces. I dont know why but i fall in love with Russian empire times. My next one is Mark Aldanov book "Suicide" about falling expetations from bolshevik revolution. Love Russia
Darya, I know a highly skilled Russian lit teacher near Saint Petersburg, Russia. She can`t stand ''Demons''. She herself was surprised. She didn`t find it a masterpiece but rather a stodgy read. When I looked in on her several years ago, she foisted that book off on me as her gift. I figured out after a few attempts at the book that one has to know well the events and real persons of that time and Dostoevsky`s personal attitude to them which he re-imagined while crafting his story to put across his own message.
@@peterivankovich2990 It certainly is true that knowing the background of this book adds to its flavour. But in my humble opinion Nikolai, Pyotr and most of all Kirilov are such intricate and amazing characters that they make it well worth reading the book. Especially Kirilov and his 'logical suicide' is something that has stuck with me after reading this book, if you're interested Albert Camus also writes about Kirilov in his 'The Myth of Sisyphus'. But I understand that the pace of this book and some of the subjects might not appeal to everyone's taste. You don't have to like every book that is dubbed a masterpiece, some just aren't for you. All the best from the Netherlands!
@@schatjepatatje767 Thanks for the feedback! When I read Demons some passages seemed to me unnecessarily long, drawn-out. I should a reader know how rickety fences leaned and wove. I came away with the feeling that he purposefully lengthened out his descriptions either to show off his mastery with words or to fill out yawning longueurs to spin out his chapters. He was paid for page after all. His Russian is old Russian compared to modern Russian and that doesn`t make for happy reading. I saw his translations in modern English and modern German. It reads real nice. But it`s the story plot and not Dostoevsky`s writing style.
As a much older person, I relished your enthusiasm and your delight at discovering the great Russian literary tradition. You must next read Brothers Karamazov, in my opinion the greatest novel ever written (pace Don Quixote), along with The Idiot, Crime and Punishment, and The Demons. These form the corpus of Dostoyevsky's philosophy of life and exploration of the complexity of the human psyche. You might also consider The Adolescent, a book of his that prefigures Karamazov in many ways. I also suggest, after reading these books, you read George Steiner's Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky, a deep analysis of the two great writers and how they differ in style and substance. Of course, of the more recent books, The Master and Margarita is a delight and will haunt you for a long time. May I also suggest Vassily Grossman's monumental novel Life and Fate, a brilliant work about Russians in the second World War. And finally, Solzhenitzyn's epic Gulag Archipelago - it's quite long, but devastating in its effect. You may want to start with One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, a shorter "version" of Gulag, however. Tolstoy's shorter works are a must as well. Don't miss The Kreutzer Sonata and, of course, The Death of Ivan Illyich!! I envy you your youth and the great panorama of life changing literature you have before you. At my stage in life, I find myself re-reading the greatest of books, although I cannot help sprinkling my reading with some superb more recent examples of great writers. Go forth in joy, dear friend, and enjoy the great tradition of Russian--as well as, German, French, British and American--books that enrich life and give it meaning!
Fully agree with your recommendations. How about Doctor Zhivago and the comic by Dostoevsky Crocodile?
Master and Margarita that's the book everyone should read, it will blow your mind. Also a few big books by Dostoevsky also must read.
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. Was my first from Turgenev and still my favorite. Relatively short, but incredibly powerful.
Когдада то мы наблюдали за нигилизмом и его проявлении в литературе и задумывались о вечном и вещном, а теперь мир сошёл сума и мы наблюдаем проявление нигилизма и безнравственности в современном мири буквально за 15 лет лож стала правдой, а уродво и человечкие пороки назвали инклюзивностью
Pushkin's style both in poetry and prose is like Mozart's music! I can't compare it with anything else but genius sunny Mozart.
You got it right!
I'm m a musician and singer, and sung a lot of Mozart ❤
He wrote a famous play Mozart and Solieri) in fact he was the first who officialy presented Solieri as Mozart's killer)
When a translated work is beautifully written, that is just as much thanks to the translator as the author.
Your passion for literature [and reading it] is beyond infectious! Thank you!
Someone may have already mentioned this in the comments, but you might want to look at Nabokov's translation of Eugene Onegin. He believed it was impossible to really translate the Russian into English while keeping the rhymes (and in any case, there are other things (maybe gender?) in the cleverness of the poetry that's also hopeless to capture), so it was worthwhile to just translate it in prose. It's really interesting to put some of Nabokov's translation next to some other translations to see what differences in meaning come through when you don't need to "force" a rhyme. In any case, EO is one of my very favorites, too, and I hope more people will try it thanks to your encouragement! (Ohhhh, I meant to add: if you really want to go crazy and dive into EO, the Nabokov edition comes with a small book of the translation and then two thick accompanying volumes that go through his thought processes on each stanza. It's bonkers and fascinating in equal measure.)
It's Pechorin with a soft ch like in "cherry"!
Thank you for such an inspiring video that makes me want to read all of those books right now! I recommend reading Nabokov, especially "The Gift", it's one of my favorite books ever.
da
It's so interesting to see someone who enjoys the books we are "forced" to read in school in Russia. It's difficult to find people who actually like these books here among the young people, because they are long and not that much action happens. But I feel like that is the genius in these stories, to tell tales of ordinary people in ordinary situations in an interesting way.
I 100% agree that Master and Margarita is Bulgakov's best book. That book in it's writing time was banned, because it showed all the flaws of society that the soviet government didn't want to acknowledge and now that book is a part of our literature program. It is a talking point of many conversations between the previous generation and our generation.
I see that you have been reading a serious side of Russian classic, so I would like to recommend some good classical comedy:
The 12 chairs (oh, how I love this book, it is a peak of comedy of that time, you will definitely enjoy it. It also has a great movie, very close to the book)
The diamond arm ( same as previous one, just brilliant 😂, also has a movie)
Вообще не правы , очень много людей в России обожают классику . Особенно Достоевского
@@Olga...572 я и не отрицаю, что это так. Сама окончила школу, где мы постоянно предлагали преподавателю выйти за рамки учебной программы и почитать дополнительно.
Но всё таки и тех, кто читает на отвали в кратком содержании достаточно много. Сужу о ситуации по детям знакомых, почти никто из них полностью не читает произведения
how fortunate you all are that you have access to the original texts and not the translations we read.
@@jumasultani7496everyone has access to the originals. They are easily found online or purchased.
@@blank_lineтаких везде полно. Думаю, что 90% школьников в принципе ничего не читают.
Congrats Carolyn. You have come so far with your Russian literature from the very first video. It’s beautiful to see. Hopefully in 2022 you can pick up, what is in my opinion, Dostoevsky’s masterpiece “The Brothers Karamazov”. It is not just my favourite Russian work of literature but probably my favourite book of all time. It is one that I find myself returning to quite often. Highly recommend 😊
Just finished this loved it
Oh my... i literally said the same thing
Its the best book i hv ever read and probably i wd ever read.... its incredible..
♥️♥️♥️♥️
I love humanity, but I wonder at myself. The more I love humanity in general, the less I love man in particular.
I didn't think Anna Karenina would ever be dethroned from "the greatest book I've ever read", but then I read The Brother Karamazov.
Just done with it reading in my mother telugu into which the translation has been done. Absolutely soul cleansing experience it was.
My love for Russian litterateur started many many years ago in University (yes, I am old) and it always make me happy when I see a young person falling in love with Russian litterateur - like I did in your ages.
This video brings back so many lovely memories, thank u!
A good start for a overview of Russian literature is Everyman’s Pocket Classics “Russian Stories” a lovely easy read.
Thanks for the suggestion!
The "ch" in Pechorin is pronounced as the "ch" in "check".
The "kh" in Chekhov sounds like [h] in "hot" (and always like that when Cyrillic is trasliterated into Latin) :)
Hi, another naitive Russian speaker here! I was so glad to hear that you are such a passionate and attentive reader and that you love our literature so much.
Also I have a recommendation for you: if you want to read a little more about Siberia from a Russian classical writer I reccomend Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment". It is a story of a poor student who plots to kill a person to take their money and it's considered one of the best books of Dostoyevsky. We even study it at schools. There's so much psychological depth to the characters and so many discussions of crime and punishment and redemption, I think it deserves to be named a masterpiece. Also my personal fave from Dostoyevsky is "Bésy (Demons)". Again such a great psychological portrait of flawed people, it discusses nature of good and evil, redemption, complex motivation of our choices and actions, parential relationships. Speaking of which, I think that Turgenev's most popular work "Fathers and Sons" may spark your interest as well.
As I recall, _Crime and Punishment_ takes place in St. Petersburg, not in Siberia. The one in Siberia is _From the House of the Dead._
It delights me to see someone first getting into Russian literature. You can only go down the rabbit hole once, but it’s a magical experience. Books you hadn’t listed here that I’d recommend: Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, the Idiot, and the Brothers Karamazov; Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita; Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilych; Gogol’s Dead Souls
Fantastic video! I'm Russian, and you really inspired to read more of our classic literature. I hope you keep enjoying it, you are awesome.Thank you so much!
The Russians are so intense. It must be that winter. I’ve been through all the majors and Nabokov is my current favorite. His creative voice and short stories are magic.
My first serious reading after I discovered Hemingway was War & Peace and Anna Karenina. I still re-read them both after some 52 years.
When you get around to reading the Master and Margarita (if you love Russian lit you don't want to miss it) you will meet up again with Griboyedov: the first character we meet in the novel is the editor of a literary magazine and chairman of the board of "one of Moscow's largest literary associations, " called MASSOLIT. The building which houses the headquarters of this organization will become the location for some of the key events in the novel. Bulgakov has paid tribute to one of his literary ancestors by naming the building after him: Griboyedov House, and "Woe from Wit" is specifically mentioned in the book.
Your enthusiasm is infectious (hope that hasn't become a bad word in these times) and I wish you the best of luck with your writing/illustrating,
It’s interesting to me that you describe The Overcoat by Gogol as funny. I personally remember this book as kind of heartbreaking.
May be I need to read it again :)
It is heartbreaking. I am too in shock because of that description.
Agreed, super sad… but sort of beautifully sad…
@@gmelmaster are u russian?
I love seeing a young woman talking about classic literature❤️❤️❤️
Thanks a lot for your delightful video. I found it both resonant and inspiring. My major 2021 reading project was reading “War and Peace” in Russian. I don’t know if I have ever been more rewarded by a reading investment. It also delivered an incomparable sense of accomplishment. I am now in the process of re-reading “Anna Karenina” in Russian-still an unbelievably powerful portrait of life. I find Pushkin’s art (music on paper as Inlike to characterize it) so compelling that I have begun memorizing “Evgeny Onegin” in Russian-the structure you referenced acts as a magical mnemonic and an effective language teaching tool. My own top five recommendations would include Dostoevsky’s “Brothers Karamazov.” Those four works alone have repaid my efforts in learning Russian!
Вы читали Карамазовых на русском?
Ok, you just made me buy Eugene Onegin and I am sooo excited about this reading!!
Oh my god, 2022 has barely started and my reading list has already skyrocketed!!! Thank you very much for your video Carolyn Marie! I did not know you are Italian! Amazing!
I read War and Peace in 2021 as well and it was so profound, I want to read more Russian classics this year! As others said, can't wait to see your new Russian discoveries and Willow's pictures! :)
So happy to have stumbled upon this video!! If you haven’t added her to your to-read list yet, I highly recommend Teffi! Her Russian folklore-inspired short stories are incredible, as as her memoirs and essays detailing her experiences in St Petersburg and abroad during the Revolution-she’s poignant and warm and delightfully clever
I'm really impressed with your achievements regarding Russian lit, Carolina Marya!
Тихий Дон про мой край ❤️ Шолохов Нобелевскую премию получил за него . История людских жизней, простым языком 👍
Great video! I'm hyped for you to read The brothers Karamazov, Oblomov and all.
It would be interesting also a video on italian literature
I wonder if you heard that Tolstoy's wife Sofia helped him a lot with rewriting and editing. She copied the whole War & Peace by hand at least 18 times. And I'm sure she contributed a lot to the description of family life and women's charachters especially in Anna Karenina, it's she who added certain warmth to the narrative. In fact Tolstoy was a huge misogene. I'm not sure Sofia's Diary is translated into any language
It is available in English. I think I could say Sofia was long suffering!
@@denisehill7769 That was translated by different guys.
Carolyn talking Russian literature is among my favorite things in the entire world!!!!!
Hi!! Thankyou so much for your insights and enthusiasm!!! I would definitely recommend
Nabokov for the new year. An amazing writer that you will surely appreciate. I see learning the Russian language in your future!!!!!
Thanks a lot for Russian literature appreciation.really nice to hear it
I'd recommend, for those who wants to start with Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyitch, which is a novela, so it's quite a short book! The book concentrates the story on how the protagonist reflects about his upcoming death... it really is a good place to start even with russian literature!!!
Giovanna, the full beauty of Russian literature can be revealed only in reading it in Russian! The translations can be a bit successful or a lot successful but never the exact copy.
@@peterivankovich2990 True, Peter.
But having only around 30 Russian lessons behind me doesn't allow me to read Pushkin nor Dostoïevski yet!
As I'm a singer and profoundly in in love with Russian composers I am fortunate enough to enjoy poetry!
Speaking quite well five languages I read Russian authors in several translations, mainly French and Italian.
Would recommend to amateurs reading in French the translations of ALL Dostoïevski by Russian novelist and poet Andreï Makine (Actes Sud)! Just great!
@@peterivankovich2990 of course not... but I read it in Portuguese and here in Brazil we have excellent translators that know the Russian language and culture really well! I'm sure their job is amazing cause I loved the Russian literature until now!
The kreutzer sonata is also a short great book by Tolstoy for starters
@@ezequielstepanenko3229 Yes, and I don`t dispute it! I just read it when I was too young to understand subtleties in it that only grownups can pick up on. I didn`t find it great, though, because I read it at school as a must read and my concern was not enjoyment but finishing it on time. Great literature lost on me. I also read it in Russian and not in a refined, well-honed, modern foreign translation. Maybe I failed to enjoy it because Russian was my second language. The other day I looked through an old British translation of War and Peace in a recent modern edition hoping to find what foreigners enjoy in reading this book. I tried hard to like it, but I nevertheless failed to see how readers could enjoy that bulky, unnatural language. The British translation of a famous British translator of War and Peace in the early 20th century contained clumsy sentences and grammar patterns that a school student, if he or her used them at his/her school or college English exam, would hardly have passed a regular English exam. I don`t mind when people enjoy books they enjoy, but I beg permission to have my own judgment of books I like or dislike or just don`t comprehend yet. As for the sonata, At my early age I wasn`t smart enough to feel that maybe Tolstoy`s wife has written certain passages in the kreutzer sonata the way that only the female psyche is capable of, as experts of literature purport to know. I`m grateful to those who share their deeper knowledge with me. We live and learn. For example, only later in life did I learn that Gulliver`s Travels was a book essentially designed for grown-ups of Swift`s time and not a book for children as it`s widely regarded nowadays. So I`m afraid you misunderstood something pointing out ''for starters''. Did I say it was in War and Peace? I still plan to revisit the kreutzer sonata when I can find a copy of the book and read it closely and try to sense if parts of it about music could have been written by Tolstoy`s wife. They I regretfully can have access to books in English. But maybe I can track down an audio version of the story on my computer. I apologize to all those who try to see a professional connoisseur of literature. I have personal likes and dislikes as gar as books go and I beg your pardon if my taste does not coincide with what passes for world standards. I`m currently slowly rereading Dostoevsky`s Demons in Russian for the umpteenth time to try to determine what makes it so popular with almost all readers. And as bad luck would have it, I haven`t resolved this mystery yet. Though I persevere. Likely in vain.
I’d love to see you make a video of where to start with Russian literature along with one that explains how you annotate your books, what each color sticky note and highlighter means. :) I loved this video so much!
I consider myself a fairly well-read Russian Lit reader, but you've exposed me to a few books I've never heard of. Incredibly impressive & informative video. Thank you Carolyn!
Great video! A couple recommendations for short stories would be lady with the dog (Дама с собачкой) by Chekhov which is very short but very beautiful also Pushkin’s Queen of Spades (Пиковая дама) is a classic and a very interesting read. As for longer books if you felt like stepping out of the 19th century Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita is perhaps the most unique book I’ve read and it’s great fun
Thoughtful and insightful reviews are so rare. So glad I found this channel.
Thanks to you, I read Anna Karenina last year, and I’ve been rereading it since then. So much to discover when rereading!
I never read Resurrection, but it became my tbr. Many Japanese captive soldiers were sent to Siberia, and since being Japanese, I feel like I have to read it. Thank you always!
This is great! Thanks! I've tried getting into Tolstoy but couldn't. I'm a huge fan of Dostoevsky. I've read Crime and Punishment twice, The Brothers Karamazov, and most of his short stories. But I should give War and Peace another chance!
Outstanding video! Your love for Russian literature is contagious. As you continue on your journey, please take us with you.
I just wanted to say that I wish I found you earlier. You are such a gem with great taste in books as well as very articulate. Much love from Sweden!
❤️❤️❤️
I'm from Russia, but i proud of you for making these videos! Russian culture is amazing, and i so happy that you distribute it
(my english is not good, but I hope you understand me)
It is understandable. Молодец
It's amazing how deeply you're reading russian lit. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to your thoughts about them top reads👍
Now, other absolutely brilliant Chekhov stories you may look into imo are- Volodya, the kiss, lady with the dog.☺️
I love Tolstoi! I am so glad to have found this video! Congrats!
Hi 👋 What a lovely Book channel 🥰 I'm reading War and Peace now 😊 Love it, Tolstoy is on my top 5 favorite authors. Thanks for good book tips 👍
Carolyn, these all have to go on my reading shelf! xoxo
Dear CarolynMarie!
You are amazing! It’s so unusual for a non-Russian speaking person to be interested in Russian literature, enjoy and love it. And you are able to make your interest and love to this literature to become an interest and joy of others.
You understand so properly Russian reality and life of those times and all the characters of those books!
You are so thorough in expressing of your feelings and opinions! All the books you have read are classic, and they are really good ones. I feel bad that you are unable to read originals. You would enjoy them even more.
Hello!
A great video! I LOVED IT. and there's a long comment to prove it, lol.
This guy from "A hero of our time" is Pechorin with "ch" as in chat.
It's unbelievable seeing foreign people reading and discussing Russian literature, because if there is something truly great about our legacy, apart from any wars and politics in general, it is literature. I'm amazed how you describe these books, how you love them! It's seen! Being Russian, I haven't read like a half of these books, and, of the other half that I have, I can't say that I like them half as much as you do!
It's also interesting to listen to your interpretations of these books. Because there's nothing particularly funny about The Overcoat, it's a satirical look at the purposeless life of a clerc, and I can't feel nothing but shame and pity for the man. I wonder how I would have perceive this story if I hadn't been taught in a certain way. (I'm not trying to say that our interpretation is the only correct and yours is not, not all! It's just an observation.)
I don't know if you answer, but I'd love to know whose side are you in Woe From Wit?) There are many interpretations and opinions on who's right and to what extend.
IMHO, Heart of the Dog is even better than Master and Margarita. It's one of my faves of his, and you should definitely check his A Young Doctor's Notebook. It's like a short story collection with an overarching plot.
OMG, I thought i would finish the comment much earlier, but when you said that you liked the War and Peace!.. You know, it's probably the most notorious books in Russian literature. At least, on 19th century (then we have Solgenitsin's so-called stories and And Quiet Flows the Don). I loved the War and Peace. It's the most influential book for me as an author, i can't thank it enough. So, that's amazing that you recommend reading it. It worth it! it's big, right, but it's not that dull as some people believe it to be. It's the perfection and it's an apotheosis of Russian literature, IMHO.
Now I want to read Evgeny Onegin in English just to see how the translator managed to keep up with Pushkin. It sounded perfect when you read it aloud.
You should definitely read Asya by Turgenev if you haven't. For me, it was an ideal start. It's short, too.
If you liked Pushkin this much, you may try his prosaic works like Tales of Belkin's, or his fairytales.
These and A Young Doctor's Notebook by Bulgakov are my recommendations.
Russian literature is one of the greatest gifts ever bestowed on humanity. Greetings from Ireland.
I began Anna Karenina this month after listening to you rave about it. It has been a book that has sat on my shelves for years and, goodness, am I glad I finally picked it up. I'm only 103 pages into it but I fully agree and understand your love of Levin. I have many opinions on the other characters but I'm still getting to know them. Levin, however, I'm ready to run off to the country with him.
I never read Russian literature, I will try it, this year! Thanks for the inspiring video!
Please, do, Rosana!
You may become deeply addict!
(I already am)
@@micaelabonetti949 Thanks my dear!
Carolyn, thank you very much for your emotions and high appraisal of the Russian literature! It is so touching !
You are truly inspiring, CarolynMarie! I love your enthusiasm for Russian Literature - and World Literature, more broadly. I recommend that you visit St. Petersburg some day - and witness that "Window On The West" that Czar Peter created in the 18th century to help his society envision how to 'modernize' like Europe. While you're there, walk along the Nevsky Prospekt where writers like Gogol and others found their freedom to imagine themselves equal to the Russian Aristoocracy who had lorded it over them. It was the 19th Century Russian writers like Pushkin, who called into being through his novels the imaginative social space that was needed to inhabit the New Russia that Peter - and then - Catherine The Great, pioneered...
Deliciously charming video!
As a great reader of Great Classical Literature from all around the world (with special focus on England, France and RUSSIA), I was delighted to discover you tonight!
Really nice content . My reading adventure started very late but most of my motivation comes from Russian writer . Hope to see more of these kind of videos .
Oh my, I love that Eugene Onegin is your number one. I need to reread it, but I remember it being so beautiful. I want to read Devils (sometimes called Demons, or The Possessed) by Dostoevsky this year.
Do it! Probably my favourite novel
@@wlrlel Not the easiest one...
Must try again, and WILL !
@@micaelabonetti949 for sure. Sometimes you have to force yourself a little bit to read the first few pages, but then you are like in the flow and you're reading 100 pages in a row- that's how I experienced reading it last December
@@wlrlel 👋I read it from the first to the last page!
But I thought it less "easy" as other Dostoïevski's novels or short novels...maybe the subject, don't know...
(Mmhhhh, to define anything by Monsieur D. as "easy", definitely no!)
Anyway, will reread it, don't worry, hahaha!
@@micaelabonetti949 Oh, I misunderstood you haha! But yes, it's more difficult to read than his other novels. I'm curious if you read the Demons, too?
Carolyn, I can't believe, that someone like you still exist in the nowadays generation who likes reading the Russian literature. I have read all the books that you mentioned in your video, and I'm about 80% in liking of them as you do. Mikhail Bulgakov's Master and Margarita is a piece of jewel that you will like, but make sure, that the book is translated Michael Glenny. I will give also a few tips on the books that I liked reading. "Mikhail Sholokhov" The Don Flowes Home to the Sea. Mikhail Prishvin's "Nature's Diary" Leonid Andreyev: The Abyss. A. Tolstoy Lev and Sonya.
Stepan Shchipachev "Lines of love and poetry.
You must read The Brothers Karamazov. Thank you for the recommendations.
Your channel is a breath of fresh air.
Thanks for making this video! I've read a handful of Russian novels, and I'm excited to add some of these to my list! I love what you said about War and Peace, because I also feel as if it became intertwined with my life at the time that I read it (granted, it took me a VERY long time to read, so I will probably associate half of 2021 with that book).
Hello! I'm from Russia, and it's so good to see someone who likes Russian classic literature. It was very exciting to listen to your thoughts about books that I have read in my school years. I even want to reread Evgeni Onegin now. Thank you!
I can recommend you to read "The two captains" by Veniamin Kaverin. It is one of my favorite books from the school. It is growing up story, and there are love and adventures here, and even a little of explorations. Oh, it's so cozy book. My heart gets warm when I remember about it. Just try it and you can't stop :)
I believe you don't have one bad video ... All great, all the time! Thanks for the info, research, love-of-all-things-Reading, & uploads.
Well you've convinced me to add Anna Karenina to my 2022 reading goal as your enthusiasm is infectious, thank you!
Огромное удовольствие наблюдать за тем, как иностранец получает удовольствие от плодов русской культуры, к сожалению, современная Россия пытается привлекать внимание не красотой, а страхом, и это видео демонстрирует, что искусство и люди мыслящие живут над временем и политикой. Привет из Санкт-Петербурга!
P.S. Wrote that in russian, cause I thought this comment section needs a bit of authentic colorite 😄
Love your enthusiasm. I am starting with Gogol, Dead Souls, the n Bulgakov Master and Margarita. Took note of you recommendations. And will have to ad Pushkin. Thank you so much.
Hello, you just flashed up on my screen from nowhere, and I'm now watching. I do hope you mention The Master and margarita. One of the most miraculous Russian novels ever written. It actually changed my life. Author, Bulgakov
I've picked up the Tolstoy material for the next stage in your epic journey!😃
I'm currently reading Anna Karenina. I am also surprised at how, as you say, approachable it is. It's also quite compulsive. I've gone through 200 pages in about 4 days all while working a full time job. It's very enjoyable. It took me about 5 weeks to finish the Brothers Karamazov, which is my favorite book of all time, so I'm hoping I can get through this one in about the same amount of time. So far from Tolstoy I've only read the Death of Ivan Ilyich, which was so devastatingly good... 😊
Also, I love Gogol, his short stories are great but Dead Souls is a hilarious must... If you haven't read it
This is so lovely! I've also had a great reading year with Russian classics :) One of the books I read that isn't on your list is Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman (I've yet to read the famous sequel, Life and Fate!) which was so moving and heartbreaking. It definitely can be hard keeping up with who is who though, something I was surprised to have no problems with at all reading War and Peace, but it's a great read! Really looking forward to Life and Fate and the dramatised audio production of it I found on audible.
Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of the Keira Knightley adaptation of Anna Karenina, but that's because I'm so protective of the philosophical through-line of the book that I don't like a movie to shorten everything down to the bare necessities (which is also why I think it's sad people expect the musical Les Mis from the book Les Mis when it's so much more than the main story, but anyway:) BUT I LOVE THE SOUNDTRACK! Dario Marianelli is such a genius, I love love love the way he includes the themes of the train and the Russian working class! And aesthetically, it's such a fantastic work of art which inherently makes the movie special to me! And I couldn't imagine a better interpretation of Stiva! :)
I hope you have a wonderful Russian reading year in 2022 as well!❤️❤️
So pleased to hear I am not the only person who has tackled Stalingrad, as you say a myriad of characters and scenes but so worth it. Life and Fate carries on the journey of many of the characters in the first book. Again, it will be worth the effort and I am sure you will sit down after reading it and realise how the two books have enriched your reading experience. War and Peace is certainly an 'easier' read, I have just finished it for the third time and every reading it becomes richer.
I have been tackling more recent Russian writing and I can highly recommend 'Death and the Penguin' and the follow-up 'Penguin lost' by Andrey Kurkov. Both are quite short but convey the grotesque post-Soviet world. Funny, tender, and poignant.
Good luck with your reading and wishing you health and happiness in 2022.
@@ba-gg6jo Thank you for the recommendations!! And I'm even more excited for Life and Fate now :)
that's so wonderful and pleasant for me that you read russian books, I have just started watching video, so I dont know the whole list of books you've read, but please, read Karamazovi's Brothers (Dostoevsky), I think you'll love it🤍
Thank you for exploring splendid world of Russian literature again, good luck💛
My first russian literature book was Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky, I read the whole book in just 3 days, I would stay after school in the library and read the book until closing time.
I'm not Russian, in fact I'm not even Slavic nor European nor white, but I love Russian literature and I agree with almost everything you said! 😊 Perhaps more so than any other literature (pace a handful like Shakespeare and Dante), Russian literature speaks to my existential soul. Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment as well as his The Brothers Karamazov are my personal favorites, The Master and Margarita and Dead Souls by Gogol are up there too, and Tolstoy's little novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich packs quite a punch. I also really like a lot of the short stories of Chekhov. I long for Pushkin's Russia! The scholar Gary Morson has a recent book titled Wonder Confronts Certainly: Russian Writers on the Timeless Questions and Why Their Answers Matter that's well worth reading.
Where are you from?
@@dannyslatty3791 I'm Asian American. 😊
It`s sooo nice to read your comment )
Just recently started reading Chekov, love his short stories. Incredible writer, so happy to have read them.
Thank you Carolyn! I am 80, not here for long no doubt, but I loved Russian literature since very young, studied Russian people & history and was looking for my film, (umpteenth time) "Anna Karinina," or War & Peace. I loved the book, "Brothers Karamazov," Russian poetry and love & pray for the great country of Russia and their fine, fine leader.
I am perked up more than I can express...my many years ends with creaking days. I wish decades ago I'd have met an avid and intelligent reader as you. You are great. Thanks for making a lover of good books feel much better.
The double is about our double, our shadow. I saw the movie and loved it.
thanks for the video! for me, as an admirer of russian literature, it was interesting to hear your detailed comments on that books. i'd highly recommend you to read leonid andreyev's books ("judas iscariot", "the red laugh") and dovlatov's books ("the suitcase", "a foreign woman"). from bulgakov's works i recommend to pay attention to the "young doctor's notebook" and "morphine" and from chekhov's works to the whole little trilogy, plays "three sisters", "the seagull" and a small story "the student"
You have great energy. I like listening to you talk about my heroes
You are such a good storyteller. 🥰🥰
Wow congrats Carolyn, what an amazing achievement 👏🏻👏🏻 you’ve really inspired me to read more Russian classics!
I'm reading War and Peace for the first time and I must say Russian literature has my attention. I read the last chapter to the sound of Tchaikovsky and it was sublime. Next up is Anna Karenina. Thank you for this video
Thanks for video. The Nose is my favorite Gogol story-really gets across his flavor.
Здравствуйте, Кэролин! Вас приветствует ваш новый подписчик из России, точнее даже из Сибири (у меня все ок, здесь сейчас получше, чем в 19 веке😆). Спасибо вам за это видео, все 40 минут с удовольствием слушал ваш чистый английский и от души улыбался. А теперь пойду и перечитаю всю русскую классику, она действительно гордость нашей страны.
Очень рад, что вам понравился "Онегин". Интересно, но мы в России думаем, что произведения Пушкина очень русские, а потому не могут быть до конца понятны людям других стран. Наверное, это правда, но все равно приятно, что вы читаете главного русского писателя и находите в нем что-то свое.
Извините, что пишу на русском. Могу и на английском, но на языке оригинала всегда интереснее😊. Тем более вы уже столько книг русских писателей прочитали, что уже, наверное, пора бы и начать учить наш язык😉😀.
Instant translate is such an amazing gift. Greetings from ireland. If I could learn a language it would be russian just to read Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in their original language. Although I really appreciate the translators and their work.
Подписываюсь под каждым вашим словом!
Пусть она Гоголя возьмёт 😹😹
I'm glad to hear that things are better now in Siberia than in the days of Dostoyevsky. I think that Vladimir Nabokov, for one, agreed with you about the inability of translators to adequately capture all the nuances of Pushkin's style. He spent years on his own English translation of Onegin, plus a huge commentary, filling 4 volumes. Despite all Nabokov's skill and erudition, many English readers find other translations more satisfying, but there doesn't seem to be much agreement as to which is best.
When still in my early teens, I became so fascinated with writers like Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, as well as with Russian music and Russian opera, especially Boris Godunov, I began to wish I could read them in the original. I never got around to taking a course in Russian, but much later I picked up a book called "the Penguin Russian Course", learned the Cyrillic alphabet and eventually picked up enough to work my way through a collection of short stories printed in the original Russian with the English translation on opposite pages. Unfortunately, I never found the patience to fully master all the grammar before tackling some of the full length novels with the help of a Russian-English dictionary and an English translation to consult whenever I got stuck - which was constantly. But I was stubborn and eventually managed to get through all of Crime and Punishment, which took at least 6 months, followed eventually by the Idiot, Ann Karenina, and the Master and Margarita. It's kind of a crazy way to learn a language I suppose, and I never learned to speak or write Russian at all well, but at least I seem to have picked up enough to be able to read comments such as yours when they are clear and straightforward as yours was.
@@hwelf11 If you had learned Russian from Dostoevsky`s books you would have been speaking Russian as a Russian person of the 19th century. Imagine somebody speaking English like in Red Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Our college had a group of British students over on exchange. They spoke the Russian of the 19th century because they had been learning their Russian from the classics of the 19th century. They stuck out liker a sore finger. Nobody speaks that kind of Russian anymore. Fare Thee Well.
I just finished reading Heart of a Dog for the first time yesterday, it's so good! The old Russian movie (1988) based on the book is also excellent, but I am not sure if there's an English translation/close captions.
ah, yes, i think this is the movie, with english subtitles - ruclips.net/video/H66k6jHiMfw/видео.html
I just found your channel, and omg I'm in love. After seeing your Cavalier (being a mom of three Cavs myself) in the first couple of minutes, I was like "yepp, I'm gonna return" 😊
Hi Carolyn, my name is Denise I’m from the south of Brazil. I’m just “arriving” in your channel …and I like very much your way to talk about books!…( sorry about my english, I’m trying to improve it…kkk)
Resurrection is my favourite Tolstoy's book. The first paragraph's epic.
Oh my god, you did a great job with this rank. I’m from Russia and I’d really like every young person in Russia to watch this video.
You know I remember how at school we studied Dostoevsky's books. but even then I realized that I didn’t have enough experience to understand his thoughts.) that’s why I still think that Dostoevsky is too complicated for the kids.
Willow ❤❤❤❤ my heart melted when I saw her little face on the pillow ❤
Your choice of books and synopsys is what i like about these videos..
Not to mention you look ethreal!!😍
I love finding another lover of Russian literature. If you're at all interested in. Russian history as well, I cannot recommend Robert K. Massie enough, especially Nicholas and Alexandra. I started reading Russian history after I fell in love with Russian literature while doing an author study of Dostoyevsky in high school. I'm sure you've already done so since this is an old video, but Crime and Punishment is my absolute favorite book. I'm about a third of the way through Brothers Karamazov so I can't fully recommend it yet. Happy reading!
There is and always will be only one Leo Tolstoy. War And Peace and Anna Karenina will never be equaled in my opinion. Thank you so much for this video, Carolyn, you are an awesome reader!
the puppy 🥺 so so cute~ thank you for the recommendation!
Thank you for the amazing video. I learned so much about Russian literature. Last year I read White Nights and I absolutely loved it. I listened to the Idiot and enjoyed it.
The reason I first associated myself with Russian lit was Anna Karenina as well. It's been a great journey so far. Thanks for the recommendations!
As a Russian, I am very pleased that our writers are read in the world) I watched your video with pleasure. You are asking for advice on Russian literature. Read if you haven't read Anton Chekhov, Ivan Bunin and Vladimir Nabokov.
Beautiful channel to stumble upon. You have a beautiful speaking voice.
Delightful video!
When it comes to Dostoevsky, I’d recommend a perhaps overlooked book of his, which is Netochka Nezvanova, a bildungsroman about an orphaned girl. Sadly, the novel was left unfinished; I thought it was a very engaging and touching novel, and is my favorite of his pre-prison books.
Also, I think your video as motivated me to reread Eugene Onegin sooner rather than later. And I think I’ll check out the film adaptations of that and Anna Karenina (who doesn’t love Keira Knightley?).
And then for Bulgakov, I thought his (also unfinished) novel A Dead Man’s Memoir was quite funny.
You're right, no one ever mentions that novel by Dostoyevsky, and it is an amazing book
А сон смешного человека читали ? Первая книга Достоевского. Это зерно от которого пошли все ростки
Love Eugene Onegin! Two things -- (1) the Stanley Mitchell translation is good, but some think the Charles Johnston translation is even better, if you ever reread it (2) forget the movie, you need to see the Tchaikovsky opera! Russia's greatest composer adapting Russia's greatest poet! Check out the DVD performance by Kasper Holten/Royal Opera.
Thumbs up for including Anton Chekhov, who is (in my estimation) one of the best short story writers to have ever lived. He's commonly known as an excellent playwright, but his stories don't tend to get the attention they deserve. His characterization is peerless and he's great at setting the atmosphere/mood very economically.
As for recommendations of other short stories by Chekhov, I'm sure many people recommended 'The Lady With the Dog", and even though it's a nice story, it's a bit uncharacteristic for Chekhov. Personally, I love (apart from Ward No. 6) "The Bishop", "The Headmistress", "In the Ravine", "The Witch", or "The Horse-Stealers".